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"Micah Hyde deserves the opportunity to be an every-down player on our defense," McCarthy said this week at the NFL Annual Meeting, via ESPN.com. "And as we go into 2014, that's our responsibility as a coaching staff to create those competitive opportunities for him to get that done. I got to a point in the season where Micah was standing on the sidelines too much."

Despite playing limited snaps as the nickel back, Hyde was responsible for half of the secondary's forced fumbles and showed a penchant for big plays as a kick-return specialist.

Now that Casey Hayward -- one of the NFL's top rookies in 2012 -- is returning after missing nearly the entirety of last season with a nagging hamstring injury, Hyde could be ticketed for the old Charles Woodson role as a free safety moving to the slot in sub-packages.

"We're going to give Micah the opportunity to play on all three downs -- whether that's corner, nickel, dime, safety," McCarthy added. "That's the versatility I think he brings to our football team."